For your chance to win a copy of OU MBA graduate Bridget Grenville-Cleave’s new book, Positive Psychology, A Practical Guide, just tell us what goal you have set yourself in 2012.
Bridget has just published her third book which is the scientific study of the positive aspects of human life, such as happiness, confidence and achievement; it focuses on understanding and promoting what makes life worth living rather than on treating mental illness. For your chance to win a copy, tell us what goal you have set for yourself in 2012 in the comments section below this competition. And if you want to elaborate on how you intend to motivate yourself to achieve it, even better!
Please note you’ll need to be logged in with your OU username and password (or guest log in) to be able to comment. You’ll also need to send us an email with the subject header ‘Psychology book comp’ stating your goal to platform-competitions@open.ac.uk with your full name and address by no later than 31st January.
Terms and conditions
This competition opens on 11/01/12 and closes on 14/02/2012. Prizes must be taken as offered and are not transferable or exchangeable for a cash equivalent. Only one entry per competition per person. This competition is open to all except employees of The Open University. Entries must be received by 14 February 2012. The promoter accepts no responsibility for any entries that are incomplete, illegible, corrupted or fail to reach the promoter by the relevant closing date for any reason. The winner will be picked at random on closing date, and will be notified within 14 days by email. The name and town of the winner will be published on Platform. The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Entries are taken as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
Bridget is one of the first qualified positive psychologists to practice in Europe and her latest book is full of straightforward advice, case studies and step-by-step instructions to making your life even better.
Comments
And the winner is..... Jo-Anna Roberts! Congratulations, a copy of the book is in the post. Thanks everyone for your entries and best of luck achieving your goals in 2012
My goal for 2012 is to get through what has felt like some very deflating periods and continue writing for an open degree. Through the ups and downs as a career changer and getting over the mid life crises there is an abundance of learning to be explored. There is never enough hours for studying and having come this far, after three long long years I am unlikely to give up now. I am set on a publishing career in some way shape or form, which means giving up all those hours reading off topic posts and news but hopefully will catch up again later with some clever IT skills. It's all about the LC (learning curve)!
My goal for 2012 is to visit my penfriend on death row in Florida. Having formed a friendship over a couple of years and visited once before, I'm only too aware of how daunting this is and the realities. However, it is so life-enhancing for the person we are visiting - and is something I believe in doing. So, I'm swallowing my nerves and boarding a plane in 2 weeks time, hoping that all my OU studies don't fall out of my head half way across the Atlantic
I have many goals for 2012, and some of them don't entirely depend on me.
* sort out my health (so far it's been: January, teeth; February, kidneys; March, 2 visits to the dentist already planned)
* start visiting the swimming pool and walking again
* find a new job (better paid and higher skilled than my current one)
* repay my debts
* start saving again
In 2011, 2 of my biggest goals were to get a new job and move house, and I achieved both of them, although it was really hard. I hope this year's going to be a better vintage.
My goals for this year are too finally learn to speak German and gain enough confidence in it to do so. Do some travelling and working. Learn more to juggle and do circus skills, and finally manage to shift my work-study ethic from the feeling that I just need to reach a post that will never move and I can stop putting in effort afterwards and before. Become a less sedentary and seated person.
My goal is continuous - to live life to the full :-)
Good luck to everyone with their goals x
I have an Hons Degree in Health & Social Care with the OU, I can only say it saved my life! I have battled with anxiety & depression for years. It gave me a focus and helped me to understand not to be so hard on myself. I urge anyone to study/learn as much as you can, it is very rewarding. My aim in 2012 is to go to Bangor Uni & study Mental Health Nursing to help other people with similar traumatic events as myself & hopefully inspire people with my survivor story when I finally write a book too. I want to help to reduce the stigma out there & reassure victims that there is 'light at the end of a very dark tunnel'. Studying has enriched my life so much and I am eternally gratefull to the OU for that.
Thank you
Caz Powell
My goal is to stop fighting my chronic ill health in a futile way, and put my energies into what I can still enjoy doing.
Apart from the usual ones - lose weight, exercise more, be more organised...
In 2012 I hope to engage more thoroughly with my job; be prepared to advantage of opportunities; be open to new experiences.
My goal for 2012 is... to continue working passed my depression by taking more time for myself, getting back into the sports, crafts and interest I used to enjoy. Also by reducing my working hours to allow more time for my partner and children :)
My goals for 2012 are to help my students to achieve there goals and aspirations ( whilst getting to understand themseleves)
And complete my OU studies to the best standard that I can, whilst as a single mother of 4holding down a full time job running my home taking my children to all there activities and still finding time for meself.
Hi,
Good luck with your goals for 2012 and I hope you all succeed. My goals for 2012 are to pass my courses for level 1 towards my degree I am just starting out on in Health Sciences. I am 37 years old, a muslim, married with 5 children aged 13.7.5.3.1 and I havent studied since I left school. I am very excited about studying although I know its going to be tough planning my time as I also have a lot of time spent taking my 7 year old son who trains with Tottenham Hotspur under 8s football team at Tottenhams academy and also with Peterborough United under 8s squad, I absolutley love football and watching him play and also engaging in my daughters activities, but now it is also time to do something for myself lol. So I plan to give it my all and stick to my study plan and work towards the career I have always dreamed of.
Hi All
I have started with one of main goals for 2012. Initially when I decided this during the Christmas, I was saying it in a half hearted fashion as usual. However events since have forced me finally to press ahead and seek help which I have done. I have been struggling with anxiety and depression I suspect since childhood. But in the last number of years it has gotten steadily worse and I have struggled to deal with it. I have a long road ahead of me but hopefully in a positive direction. My main goal is to get help for myself and stop doing things just for the sake of it.
An example is my recently finished B.Sc(Open) through the Open University and through no fault of the University I struggled with it probably due to the way my mind is currently. I also think it was because I had to do it for my job to try and get somewhere and this is a disastrous approach. I ended up doing my Degree being constantly frustrated with my mind not fully engaged in it, just to satisfy my manager in my job. Unfortunately having learned the hard way I have realised that when pursuing a Degree a person should be passionate about what they want to do and if they are they are more likely to put more into studying and be more successful.
Despite my choice I am impressed with the Open University materials etc for my modules and I would like to study with them again, preferrebly in something I would like
however not in 2012, possibly in Psychology??
Good luck everyone in your endeavors
Hey all,
My goal for 2012 is to pass my first year of study (DD101) with the equivalent of a first, to get me off to a good start. I also plan to begin work on DSE141 and SDK125 in October, to get me on my way to completing a BSc in Criminology and Psychological Studies.
Good luck to all, may you all achieve your personal goals!
Peace
My goal for 2012 is to complete my PhD Ed studies (viva planned for the summer) and obtain a book contract. My motivations will be to make my small contribution, while travelling to a couple of special places to enrich my energies and knowledge on various subjects I wish to write about. All this, of course, while having fun!
My goals for 2012 are to become completely debt free which will change my life completely allowing me to feel more positive about my future, complete my current courses with at least a Pass 2 and start my final level 3 course with the intention of at least a Pass 2, preferably a Pass 1.
My goal for 2012 is to bake and give away at least one chocolate cake each month.
My goals for 2012 are the largest they have ever been. Psychotherapy transactional analysis (March 2012) I am finishing my teacher training diploma (May 2012) Start the OU degree in psychology with intro to psychology (May 2012)
I have a busy year!
Kind regards
Marilyn Brandwood
My goal with the OU this year is to complete my Level 1 psychology course with at least a 65% pass, along with my Maths course too, and sign up for a Level 2 course to start around October, either in Maths or ICT (depends on how well I'm doing!)
My primary goal is to obtain a first-class degree in Environmental Studies by 2015 with the aim of starting a new career that utilises the skills that will allow me to better inform people on how to take care of the environment and to make a difference to the planet we live on. I will have completed 120 points at Level 1 by September 2012. I am also looking for voluntary work in an appropriate sector to further build on my study skills this year.
I'm going to finish off my OU law degree this year - a hard slog but really interesting
Having obtained my MBA in my 40th year, without a degree to my name before that, I now want to stretch my thinking, learning, and practice even further. Armed with my career strategy and path to development, I am volunteering more and playing an integral part in my community's development through a number of local schemes.
A new goal for 2012 was my New Year’s resolution 'to change for the best' and within the first 20 days, I've been seconded into a new role for the Olympics!
I'm only hoping with this positive approach to date, I can make the other 346 days as rewarding as those so far.
My goal for 2012 is to start on my degree course. Have wanted to do this for a long time, but have only recently had time and courage to do it. I'm starting with DD101 and then I am going to do DSE141, hoping to carry on and get a degree in psychology. Am a little daunted by it all but hope to see it through to the end.
Good luck to everyone with their goals.
Hi Everyone
My goal for 2012 is to finally, after years of putting it off, get started on this degree. Over the past few years I have taken a few small courses in NLP and body language but with raising a family and work and countless other things that seemed important at the time I never really got time to pursue my study goals. Well this week I did it, registered, applied and got excited. I have even printed off some of the free courses to see if I can really do this.
So at 47 years old my goal is to start this course and just go with the flow till I finish it :)
Good luck to everyone and all the best for achieving your goals
jackie
My goal for 2012 is to learn many new things in different subjects to expand my world view and meet a variety of new and interesting people.
Its DD303 as my last course for the BSc (Hons) but I have also taken up learning Danish (why not), Advanced Liability Insurance (work related), Certificate in Risk Management (work related), Chess (already can play but joining a club to learn more and improve) and its not even the end of Jan yet! :-) Not too sure what else will follow to add to the mix but I have found out about a Tango class and dying to try Zumba also.
Of course with a busy schedule like this I have already had to plan a mental schedule to keep track with them and having different start dates throughout the year will certainly help.
Good luck to everyone else with their goals.
My goal for 2012 is to finish something. It seems silly but I don't think I have ever finished anything in my life, my struggle with depression and my constant strive for perfection has always gotten in the way and I often end up burning myself out and giving up. Its a terrible and difficult cycle for me to break but that is exactly what I plan to do!
I start DD101 next week which will be my first academic course since school ( I studied Art and Design at college) and I intend to gain a degree in Psychology so I do not wish to blow it. I will be trying my utmost to pace myself this year by setting myself realistic goals and sticking to them, no matter how tempted I become to push myself that little bit harder. 2012 will be the year that I learn from my past mistakes and achieve what I set out to achieve within the timeframe I set myself. I must become the tortoise rather than the hare.
Wish me luck! :)
Last year I decided to go for it and start to study for a Bsc Psychology Degree. I am currently studying SDK125 Health Sciences Course to begin my journey.
My goal for 2012, is to continue to do this and learn new things and succeed in the courses that I do (I am starting Discovering Psychology in April 2012).
I have always been interested in Psychology, but come from an era where it wasn't readily available in school such as it is today, and I guess got caught up in getting a job, getting married and having children, and therefore always put what I really wanted to do on the back burner. Now the children are older I have had the chance to do something for me, so I guess my goal is to see this through (whilst working and looking after 3 children!).
Sarah
Of course I have the goal of doing well in DD303 (DD307 and graduation is next year) but my main goal for this year lies outside the OU.
2012 is the year I (should) qualify as a counsellor and hypnotherapist. So my goals are to finish those courses, get some experience and set my self up in practice.
My main goal for 2012 is to pass my first of 2 level 3 modules, “Cognitive Psychology”, with a Distinction, thus maintaining the best chance for gaining Graduate Basis Membership of the BPS, and achieving a good class of Honours Degree to assist me in obtaining further training in Psychology.
My goal adheres to the SMART principle:
It is specific
It is measurable
It is achievable
It is realistic
There is a timeframe
Having achieved Distinctions for 2 of my level 2 modules, I believe it is realistic to be able to achieve my goal. However, I am aware of some changes I need to make to the way I study in order to give myself the best possible chance. I need to improve my note-taking and in particular I need to think more about the way I organise and manage my time.
I'm a firm believer that thoughts become things, so choose the good ones!
Just found myself on here this afternoon so may as well get the ball rolling.
Well me - I'm currently studying the openings course "Introduction to Counselling" D171 and have just registered for the OU Physchology Degree a few days back.
I'm also undertaking the CPCAB Counselling Skills Certificate.
My goal for 2012 is certainly to be more positive with friends and family. I've been reading lots of stuff on NLP , Active Listening Skills and being Non Judgemental/Empathy (for my assignments and me personally)
So 2012 goal - Fire up the grey matter, be positive and be more attentive when speaking with my wife and kids, friends, colleagues and family.
quite pleased with myself having decided to start a Pyschology Degree and continue with the Counselling training.
Sent an email but all messages bouncing to the address provided right now
Had two NDR's on two sends
This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification. Delivery to the following recipients failed. competitions-platform@open.ac.ukHi David
Sorry you have experienced problems sending an email and thanks for letting us know. The link should be working now but we will add your entry from your post on here.
Jenny
Platform Team
I can't enter this competition as I'm OU staff but I'm happy to start people off... my goal for 2012 is to focus on my writing - blogs, news articles and my work-in-progress novel. If I don't, unexpressed creativity may well kill me!